Gas or vapor electric lamp.



R. KUGH.

GAS OR VAPOR ELECTRIC LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1906.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

m L m m a (lttozmgo RICHARD KITCH, OF HANAU, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ens on vapor. nnncrnrc LAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma1n2d. 191%.

Application filed March 20, 1906. Serial N 0. 307,107.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD KiioH, asubject of the German Emperor, and residing at Hanau, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas or Vapor Electric Lamps, of Which the following isa specification.

In the first gas or Vapor electric lamps (by Arons and others) both electrodes were of mercury. During the operation of such lamps the evolution of heat at the positive mercury electrode is greater than that at the ne ative mercury e ectrode (see An/na- Zen er Physz'k fourth continuation, Volume XII, 1903, page 678). If therefore there is an anode and a cathode of, mercury which have the same shape and the same quantity of mercury, a smaller quantity of mercury will evaporate during the same time at the latter electrode than at the" former electrode. The consequence of this is, that the mercury is gradually drawn over from the anode to the cathode and collects at the latter. For maintaining the continuous working of the lamp, it was therefore necessary to so arrange the lamp with the two mercury electrodes, that the cathode was enabled to overflow from time to time and to return the'excess as liquefied mercury to the anode. This produced, however, a periodical disagreeable flashing of the light. In small lamps the overflow of the cathode even frequently caused the extinction of the tight For this reason in all gas or vapor electric lamps for illuminating purposes a solid anode (of iron, carbon'and the like) was preferably-employed and mercury was used only as a cathode. The gases developed in the course of time from the solid electrodes however created difliculties. In highly loaded gas or vapor electric lamps with mercury electrodes the solid anodes are in general not permissible on account of the high temperatures produced. If, however,

the anode is externally cooled or if it is made sufliciently larger than the cathode-so that more heat is dissipated from the anode than from the cathode, the result may be obtained that almost no mercury is transferred from one electrode to the other. The phenomenon referred to has reference to the non-luminous vapor and does not refer to the transportation of luminous particles from the cathode to, the anode.

been found, however, that a- -which connects the negative The present invention relates to improvements in gas or vapor electric lamps.

The ObJGCt of the invention is to'provide a lamp. of the character described, havingone or both electrodes of mercury or other hquld metal, which will operate continuously without disturbance of the operation.

The above object is accomplished first, ':by

so proportioning the sizes or shapes of the each will dissipate heat in proportion to the heat generated Within it,

electrodes that and, second,-to automatically control the dissipation of heat from the negative electrode. With a proportioning of the electrodes, as above described, an almost exact regulation of the mercury levels at'the two electrodes is attained. Were this regulation ,exact under all circumstances, no further regulating means would berequired. Itfhas iven proportiopmg of the electrode'cham ers will not produce exact regulation under different conditions such as drtlerenttemperatures of the surrounding atmosphere. To produce exact i 1 regulation -under all circumstances I have as above set forth, conceived the plan of automatically regulating the dissipation of heat from the'cathode and, asalso herein set forth, thegspecific means which I haveshown for acbomplis'hing this last regulation cons'sts of a narrow intermediate tube electrode chamher with the illuminating tube.

The proportion of the heats developed and i given ofi at both mercury electrodes in aas.

or vapor electric lamp can be influenced y the shapes and sizes of the two electrode chambers. I have found, that the degree of cooling of the anode difiers in from that of the cathode. As is well lmown, a so-called cathodic luminous aigret is formed on the negative electrode (wide for instance the article by J. Stark in the one respect Annaln der Pkysz'k, Volume IV, 12, page 673) and this aigret agitates the surface of the cathode and puts it in a permanent boiling motion. At the anode, however, no'such mechanical agitation takes place. From this fact it follows, that the heating, of the mercury in the anode is simply efiected by transmission of heat from the surface, but in the cathode the heating of the mercury is also effectedby mixing'the hot la er at the surface with the lo y It is this difference, which enables me to automatically regulate the quantity of mercury evaporated at the cathode and thereby to make constant the levels of the mercury at both electrodes.

It is easy to so proportion the positive and the negative electrode chambers, that the proportion of the heats given off at both electrodes is approximately the same as the proportion of heats developed at both electrodes. Of course, it is not possible to render this proportion exact for the reason, that the quantity of heat given off depends upon the temperature of the ambient air. The exact automatic regulation according to my invention is obtained in the manner now to be described.

Referring to the drawing, the figure shows a cross section of the lamp.

The electrode on the right and the electrode 1 which consist of chambers for receiving mercury are connected by the illuminating tube as shown. The shapes or sizes of the electrode chambers are so proportioned relatively that they will dissipate the heat generated within them at such rates that both chambers will remain at the same temperature when otherconditions are nor mal, for instance, when the outside temperature of the air is normal.

The negative electrode bulb is given such a shape, that the internal diameter of that part of the chamber, which is subjected to the action of the arc-light, is so much reduced, that the above mentioned agitation of the mercury by the cathodieluminous aigret is restricted in depth. It is obvious that the depth of the agitation like all agitations in liquids goes only to a certain depth dependent somewhat upon the cross section of the containing vessel; that is, the narrower the vessel 1s within which the liquid is inclosed the less the depth of the agitation.

In the drawing, 1 denotes a cathode chamber connected to the illuminating tube by a narrow constricted tube 2.

The dissipation of heat at the cathode is accomplished in two ways, first, by pure conduction to the entire bulk of the mercury, and hence by radiation; and second, by the boiling action'of the cathodic aigret which stirs up the mercury at the'cathode and effects an even distribution of the heat in a mercury mass, andhence by radiation to the outside air. It is assumed, that at the start of the lamp the chambers 1, 2 be filled with mercury up to the point 3. The cathodic luminous aigret formed at the point'3 will agitate the mercury down to a certain depth, say as far as the vertical line 5, while the part of the mercury on the left of this line 5 will receive heat only through-transmission. The size of the cathode bulb in proportion to that of the anode-bulb is from the cathode chamber and partly filling the beginning so determined, that this transmission of heat is too small. Then mercury will evaporate on the surface of the cathode at 3 and the level will sink say for example to the point 4. The agitation being always of the same depth w1ll go deeper in the cathode chamber. More bulk of mercury will now be stirred up than before, the heat will be more evenly distributed through the whole mass, and therefore the total dissipation increased. The temperature of the cathode chamber as a whole will drop, and therefore the temperature of the mercury in the restricted portion 2.. If this drop is below the temperature of the anode, mercur will condense andfill the part 2, until 2. ba ance has been reestablished. Let us assume, that at this moment the proper proportion be attained. Should from any external reason the transmission of heat vary, this variation will produce certain effects. For example, when the temperature of the ambient air sinks on that place, the transmission of heat to the outside air will increase, so that also a greater radiation of heat will take place at the point 4, when mercury will again condense at 4 and the level of the mercury willrise up to a point, say between the two points 3 and 4. In other words, this arrangement of the two electrode chambers will result in a perfectly automatic regulation of the levels of mercury in both the cathode and the anode. Trials have proved, that in this manner actually constant levels of mercury are obtained, and that lamps so arranged will burn for hundreds of hours and permanently with constant levels of mercury.

Hitherto gas or vapor electric'lainps with metals, which are liquid during the work,

will equally work in exactly the same manner as the mercury electrodes.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

-1. The herein-described gas or vapor electric lamp comprising a tube having electrode chambers at its ends, the passage connecting one of said chambers with the tube having a relatively smaller area exposed to the action of the velectric are produced in the tube when the lamp is in operation than the passage connecting the other chamber and tube, a liquid cathode in said contracted passage and adjacent chamber, and a liquid anode in the other. chamber.

2. The herein-described gas or vapor electric lamp comprising a tube-having electrode chambers at its ends, the cathode chamber being connected with the tube by a assage that is smaller than that connecting t e tube and. anode chamber, a body of mercury in the passage connecting said chamber with the 13 1,089,992 lift v body of the tube, and a body of mercury in the anode compartment.

3. A vapor electric device comprising an anode bulb partly filled with mercury, a cathode bulb entirely filled with mercury, a main illuminatin tube communicating with said anode cham diameter than said illuminating tube con necting the latter with the cathode chamber.

4. Amercury vapor lamp comprising the combination oi? an anode bulb partly filled with mercury, a cathode bulb entirely filled with mercury, connecting illuminating tube and a tube partly filled with mercury connecting the cathode bulb with the illuminating tube and of lesser diameter than said and .a tube of lesser regulate the agitation of the mercurv in the cathode bulb, thereby to regulate the heat dissipating capacity thereof.

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD Kll'OH.

Witnesses FRANZ Hnssmcnnn, Enwm Dmrrnn. 

